3 ms·
> And I felt the concerted institutional effort every single step of the way to push me down and grind me into submission, to teach me I was a criminal for thin
by erdos4d 4y ago
> And I felt the concerted institutional effort every single step of the way to push me down and grind me into submission, to teach me I was a criminal for thinking for myself.
I so relate to this. The people who run schools honestly believe that they are the one true way in society and if you aren't square with them, you are literally on a criminal path. You don't believe their values? Complete anti-social. Don't find their facts fun to regurgitate on command? Clearly an idiot. These people really are brainwashed in this way and that kids get forced through that system is a tragedy.
- soulofmischief 4y agoIt's a really bad filter, too. I used to get written up a lot (and punished/beaten at home) for drawing in class. If my characters had so much as a 1-inch knife on their heel, I was being hauled into the office for the latest round of Is-This-The-Next-Columbine, told I was drawing evil things. This happened incessantly throughout grade school. My guardians and schools formed an ad-hoc surveillance network where they all made sure I was never drawing Bad Things, and that I was always Adequately Punished. The insanely ironic thing is that I was unequivocally the first person who would have put their life in danger to protect the lives of their peers. Because of my upbringing I have a compulsion to protect others at my expense and would never dream of aiming a firearm at someone who wasn't an immediate threat to my safety. But while white supremacists around me were sharpening their views on the playground, I was the easy target. I obviously didn't pursue a career in art and still struggle with personal identity and creativity because of this.